Flue-cleaning machine



(No Model.)

F. W. GORDON.

PLUE CLEANING MACHINE. No. 244,047. Patented July 12.1881.

WITNESSES: M W INVEN TOR W gvzd ZTTORNEY N, PETiRS. Phololilhngnphar, Washingtfln. DJ;

UNITED STATES PATENT Orrin- FREDERICK W. GORDON, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

FLUE-CLEANING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 244,047, dated July 12, 1881.

Application filed March 18, 1881, (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK W. GoRDoN, of Pittsburg, Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flue-Cleaning Machines for Hot- Blast Stoves, of which the following is a specification.

Certain classes of hot-blast stoves are formed with numbers of vertical brick flues, in cases as much as eighty feet high. These fiues have their walls heated by the passage through them of burning gases. These gases deposit on the flue-walls a non-conducting substance, which must he often removed if the efficiency of the stove is to be maintained.

This invention relates to a machine arranged on the top of the stove, by means of which the cleaning operation is easily and quickly performed.

In a general way, the machine consists of a winding apparatus arranged to operate a cleaning-tool upon the end of a chain dropped into the flues.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of the upper portion of a stove with my cleaning-machine attached; Fig. 2, a plan view of the same; and Fig. 3, an end View of the crane boom, carriage, &c.

A is the stove, B flue-covers, and D a flue with cover removed. In most cases each cover exposes several small flues.

F is a winding-sheave, arranged to let out and wind up by means of the crank T the toolchain E, upon the end of which may be fixed any suitable device, as at G, for cleaning the flue-walls. The sheave F may retain the chain, reel fashion, as drawn up, or it may dispose of it in any manner common to winding devices; but in practice I prefer the arrangement clearly shown in the drawings, which consists of a counterbalancing take up weight, B. The tool-chain E, passing over sheave F, passes over idle-sheave G, then down and around weight-sheave I, then up to a rigid attaching-point, J. The chain, after leaving sheave G, might be attached directly to weight H, in which case a heavier weight and greater weight-travel would be required.

In order to provide for the tool-chain being worked in any of the flues, the winding-sheave F and any arrangement used for its support should be movable and capable of being adjusted over any particular flue.

The particular mechanism by which I render the winding-sheave adjustable over each flue will now be described.

K is a pivot-base, fixed to the stove-top, preferably at the center.

M is the boom, which is pivoted to the base K. The boom,in practice, I construct of channel-bars attached to the pivot-saddle L. To this boom is attached the idle-sheave G, end of chain E, 850., so that the entire machine is capable of revolution on the pivot L K.

The winding-sheave F is fixed in a carriage, O, which is movable along the boom, and capable of being clamped in any desired place by the clamps U V engaging under the flanges of the boom-bars. To render the carriage 0 more easily movable, it is provided with wheels S, bearing on the boom-bars, as shown, and with a counterbalancing arrangement consisting of a chain, I, passing over a sheave, Q, and sustaining a weight, R, falling outside the stove opposite the one, H, used for balancing the cleaning-tool. The pivot-saddle L, which sustains the boom, is bifurcated,as shown, in order that the carriage and winding-sheave maybe brought up to and even over the central pivot.

In using a simple sheave, as shown, I increase the griping-power of the sheave upon the chain by means of inward chain-curving projections W. A sprocket-wheel adapted to intergear with the chain-links is inefficient on account of the variation of the pitch of the chain-links, as the chain is affected by the heat. The projections Wsimply curve and cramp the chain, as indicated in Fig. 3, and the projections may beb1ock-1ike,as shown, or they may be so arranged as to practically form a serpentine groove in the sheave. Their spacing bears no relation to the pitch of the chainlinks, their function being to throw the chain into curves sidewise.

The peculiar arrangement of the main sheave F, having projections W to curve and cramp the chain, is reserved as the subject of another patent.

I claim as my invention- 1. In flue-cleaning machines for hot-blast stoves, the combination of stove A, pivoted boom M, sheave I crank T, chain E, and cleaner (J, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In flue-cleaning machines for hot-blast stoves, the combination of stove A, pivoted boom M, sheave I crank T, tool-chain E, cleaner 0, and movable sheave-carriage 0, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In flue-cleaning machines for hot-blast stoves, the combination of stove A, pivoted boom M, Winding-sheave F, crank T, toolchain E, cleaner 0, carriage 0, chain 1, sheave Q, and Weight R, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. In flue-cleaning machines for hot-blast stoves, the combination of stove A, pivoted boom M, formed of flanged bars, windingsheave F, crank T, chain E, cleaner 0, carriage O, and clamps V U, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. In flue-cleaning machines for hot-blast stoves, the combination of stove A, sheave F, crank T, tool-chain E, cleaner 0, carriage O, boom M, and bifurcated boom-saddle L, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. In flue-cleaning machines for hot-blast stoves, the combination of stove A, pivoted boom M, sheave F, crank T, chain E, cleaner 0, idle-sheave G, and Weight H, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. In flue-cleaning machines for hot-blast stoves, the combination of stove A, sheave F, crank T, chain E, cleaner 0, carriage O, idlesheaves Qand G, pivoted boom M, and weights R and H, suspended outside the stove from the ends of the boom, substantially asset forth.

FRED. W. GORDON.

Witnesses:

JAMES A. MCKEAN, G. W. BOLLMAN. 

